# Virology Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $5,289,678

## Abstract

Abstract
Core 1 (Virology)
The MAVDA Virology Core (MVC; Core 1) has been established to provide cell-based infection assays to
evaluate the effectiveness of hit and lead compounds targeting a range of essential viral enzymatic activities as
identified by MAVDA Project Leaders. Working in close collaboration with all Project Teams and Cores, the MVC
will conduct early-stage dose-response studies of hit and lead antiviral compounds in cells susceptible to SARS-
CoV-2 and related coronaviruses. The MVC will also determine cytotoxicity and predicted therapeutic windows
for these compounds. The data provided by the MVC is essential for the drug discovery pipeline and will inform
central iterative efforts to optimize promising compounds and form the basis for making go/no-go decisions for
moving promising compounds forward into mechanistic and animal studies using relevant in vivo models of
COVID-19. The MVC also has the added capability of selecting for and identifying resistant viral variants that
may further inform modes of action for lead compounds, as well as efforts to maximize resistance barriers against
viral escape from therapy. Capacity to screen additional viruses of pandemic importance, including alphaviruses
and flaviviruses, will also be made available to Project Teams.
 The MVC will be a single entity headed by Charles M. Rice (The Rockefeller University; RU), Stephen P.
Goff and Yosef Sabo (Columbia University Medical Center; CUMC) and David S. Perlin (Center for Discovery &
Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health; CDI-HMH). Their combined labs possess decades of expertise in
developing and implementing cell-based assays using natural virus isolates and engineered reporter systems
from dozens of viruses in the corona-, flavi-, paramyxo-, bunya-, toga-, filo-, and picorna- RNA virus families.
The infrastructures of their host institutions and regulatory support for working with biosafety level 2 and 3 priority
pathogens using state-of-the-art techniques with low to high-throughput capabilities will provide critical first pass
and follow up pre-clinical evaluation support for compounds developed by MAVDA Projects 1-6. These efforts
form a central pillar upon which compounds identified by Project teams can be rapidly and efficiently evaluated
for antiviral potency and potential in vivo efficacy for a variety of viral infections while minimizing cellular toxicity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10513915
- **Project number:** 1U19AI171401-01
- **Recipient organization:** HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Charles M Rice
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $5,289,678
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-16 → 2026-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10513915

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10513915, Virology Core (1U19AI171401-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10513915. Licensed CC0.

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